ICJP re-boots, exits Booterstown
The Irish Commission for Justice and Peace (ICJP) - along with all the other Catholic agencies based at 169 Booterstown Avenue in Dublin - are moving or have moved to Maynooth, 16 miles west of Dublin city. As of 21st April the new address for ICJP is Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Phone 01 - 601 6700, Fax 6016699, and e-mail icjp@eircom.net The three staff who were based at Booterstown Avenue, Jerome Connolly (who started work with ICJP when it began in 1970), Sr Mary O'Connor, and Breda Farrell, will no longer be working for the Commission (though Jerome Connolly hopes to continue involvement in the human rights area on a freelance basis). Decisions about the future staffing and remit of the Commission etc are likely to be taken at the Catholic Bishops' Conference meeting in June. Queries regarding the Churches' Peace Education Project can go to the Maynooth address or alternatively to the Belfast address of 48 Elmwood Avenue, Belfast BT9 6AZ, phone 028 (048 from Republic) 9066 2992.

• New publication: "Refugees and Asylum Seekers - A Challenge to Solidarity", which includes policy statements by the Catholic bishops is available from ICJP or Trócaire. It is 101 pages and priced at €4.
• The Refugee Project and its officer, Sr Joan Roddy, have moved to Maynooth and can be contacted at Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co Kildare, phone 01 - 5053116, fax 6016401, e-mail stays the same; refproject@eircom.net 
• Trócaire, the Catholic Agency for World Development, will have moved to Maynooth by 20th May. Its new address will be simply Trócaire, Maynooth, Co Kildare. The new phone is 6293333, fax 6290661, and e-mail and web addresses will remain the same, respectively info@trocaire.ie  and www.trocaire.org 

'Shut Sellafield' on the cards (1.5 million times)
The Shut Sellafield campaign, which has received widespread publicity in Ireland and also a certain amount in Britain, has organised the sending of 1.5 million postcards with different images respectively to Tony Blair, Prince Charles and Norman Askew (head of BNF/British Nuclear Fuels). The campaign was initiated by Ali Hewson who has been active with the Chernobyl Children's project and anti-nuclear issues for a number of years. 

It is estimated that 900,000 cards went to Blair, and around 300,000 each to Prince Charles and British Nuclear Fuels. The response from the British Minister for Energy and from BNF looked patronising. While the campaign has admitted that there is not at this stage a realistic chance of 'shutting Sellafield' this campaign must strengthen Irish and international moral pressure on the Sellafield plants - and it cannot be doubted that it is an issue people feel strongly about in Ireland. Any money raised from cards sold will go to the Chernobyl Children's Project (see NN 97). The Shut Sellafield website at www.shutsellafield.com  includes info about Sellafield (and Chernobyl), the campaign, and a schools section.

The Commitments (Politicians sign the blues)
'The commitments' is a human right and development questionnaire for all election candidates in the general election in the Republic; all candidates are asked 12 questions on issues to do with overseas development assistance, rights of asylum seekers, international trade and international security - the idea being to make human rights and global inequality election issues. All responses will be on the website by 10th May at www.activelink.ie/thecommitments and even if some parties give blanket answers for all their candidates 'a promise is a promise'. The Commitments is supported by Afri (Action from Ireland, 134 Phibsboro Road, Dublin 7) and Christian Aid Ireland (17 Clanwilliam Terrace, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2). Further information from the above or the project director at mariafleming2002@yahoo.co.uk 

• The Refugee project (above) has produced a background sheet and questions on refugee and asylum issues for the election.
• The Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network has produced a 4-page summary of party responses on world debt, fair trade and food security, and small arms and child soldiers. AEFJN, c/o Rita Kelly, ph 01 - 4965433, e-mail returnedmissionaries@irishmissionaryunion.com 

DD minus 30
Democratic Dialogue (see NN96), the Northern Ireland think tank, has moved up the road from 53 University Street to 23 University Street, Belfast. Other details are the same, postcode is still Belfast BT7 1FY, phone 028 - 90 22 00 50, fax 90 22 00 51, e-mail info@democraticdialogue.org and web http://www.democraticdialogue.org 

Richness in Diversity; Reconstructing Civil Society
This is the theme of the first international conference organised by Dundalk Institute of Technology (in association with Algoma University, Canada) from Monday 27th to Wednesday 29th May at the Fairways Hotel and Conference Centre, Dundalk. The conference will also see the launch of the Dundalk Institute of Technology Cross Border Centre for Community Development. A wide variety of speakers are scheduled for the conference for which the fee is €250, some concessions may be available. Further details from; Conference Co-ordinator, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, phone 042 - 93 70 453, e-mail info@richnessindiversity.com  and web www.richnessindiversity.com 

Women and Peacemaking
A new publication from the Women Peacemakers Programme of IFOR/International Fellowship of Reconciliation entitled "Women Making Peace: Lessons Learned" looks at the first four years of the programme which among other things organises trainings of women in active nonviolence including as trainers and regional consultations for women from armed conflict areas. The 40-page pamphlet, written by the programme officer Shelley Anderson, argues, among other things, that a gender perspective is necessary for any effective peace intervention, that organisations working for peace must themselves model gender equality, and develop an analysis that includes an effective response to gender violence. The pamphlet is available from IFOR at $8 US or €10 (enquire about payment methods); IFOR, Spoorstraat 38, 1815 BK, Alkmaar, Netherlands, e-mail s.anderson@ifor.org Phone +31 72 512 3014, web www.ifor.org.wpp 

Treadagh House
Treadagh House in Belfast is involved in a range of educational, reconciliation and training work. One forthcoming workshop is on Personal Effectiveness and takes place on Saturday 8th June at Columbanus on the Antrim Road in Belfast, with a follow up programme to be arranged; the aim is to explore self esteem with a view to improving self-confidence and self-belief. The fee for the day is £17 individuals, £25 organisations, negotiable if necessary. Treadagh House, 46 Mountcoole Park, Belfast BT14 8JR, phone 028 - 9039 1344, e-mail treadaghhouse@lineone.net 

IMF: New Moves on Debt and Adjustment Programmes
Only 6% or so of the poorest countries' debt has actually been cancelled. The IMF and World Bank admit the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative is failing. The Debt and Development Coalition has a meeting on Wednesday 15th May from 10.00 am - 12.30 pm with Ian Bennett, Canadian Executive Director, and Nioclas O Murchu, Irish Alternate Director, taking place at Mandate, O'Lehane House, 9 Cavendish Row (Parnell Square East), Dublin. If interested in attending please contact Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, All Hallows, Grace Park Road, Dublin 9, phone 01 - 857 1828. e-mail ddc@connect.ie 

Creating a culture of peace and human rights
As Mary Robinson comes towards the end of her term of office as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, it will be fascinating to hear her views on the above topic. It takes place in Derry at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster, sponsored by the Human Rights and Equality Centre of the School of Law and by Afri, on Saturday 18th May at 3.30pm. Contact re invitations a s a p, Afri, 134 Phibsboro Road, Dublin 7, ph 01 - 496 8595, e-mail afri@iol.ie 

Colombian Governor taking hostage leading reconciliation march
Governor Guillermo Gaviria of Antioquia, Colombia was kidnapped along with others while leading an unarmed march for reconciliation, appealing to all groups to work for a peaceful and just country; the kidnapping happened at the end of a five day march by one thousand unarmed Colombians. Those held hostage were taken when Gavira asked to meet with FARC. Guillermo Gaviria has supported nonviolence training work. Support is being organised including appeals to FARC and you can contact lbotera@gobant.goc.co.uk  (other contacts via INNATE).

• Meanwhile, Gearoid O Loingsigh, a member of the Latin America Solidarity Centre and volunteer for Sembrar, a human rights organisation in Colombia, is safe having been previously in hiding threatened by paramilitary death squads. LASC, 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2, ph 01 - 676 0435.

Community Exchange
Community Exchange e-mail newsletter continues to be the best source of general information on the community and voluntary sectors, particularly in the Republic. A frequent free e-mail newsheet gives brief information, contacts, and other useful material for the non-profit sector. To send information or subscribe contact gian@activelink.ie The website is at http://www.activelink.ie/ce/ and its directory of Irish non-profit organisations is at http://wwwactivelink.ie/irish/ Activelink, 10 Upper Grand Canal, Dublin 4, ph. 01 - 6677326.

Middle East Information
Mernet, the Mediterranean Resources Network in the UK, has put together a good list of Palestinian and Israeli websites including governmental, political and peace/NGO organisations and UN links. It is available by e-mail. Mediterranean Resources network, PO Box 10386, London E17 6YB, phone +44 - (0)20 - 8531 6565, e-mail info@mernet.org and web http://www.mernet.org